Twine-holder.



J. W. MORRIS.

TWINE HOLDER.

APPLICATION IILED MAY 23, 1910.

Patented Dec.6,1910.

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JAMES W. MORRIS, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

TWINE-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 23, 1910.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910. Serial No. 562,803.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES WV. MORRIS,

citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Twine-Holders, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to a twine holding and serving device which is designed for use in store and like service where twine is drawn from a ball or coil to be used in doing up packages.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple, practical twine holder which primarily can be manufactured and sold cheaply, and to that end the entire device is preferably made of a single piece of stiff wire.

Another object is to provide a holder in which the tension weight is so arranged and guided that it cannot turn or twist, or otherwise cause the twine to be fouled.

A further object is to provide a holder 1 with guiding eyes which are open more or less at one point to allow for the ready insertion of the twine when a new ball is put on.

The invention has other objects and advantages which will be apparent hereinafter.

Having reference to the accompanying drawing the figure is a perspective view of i I the twine holder.

from a single piece of stiff wire bent to proi vide a horizontal base portion A, an upturned end 2 on the base to carry the ball or a cone of twine 3, the vertical standards 4,

and the horizontal portion 5 at the top of the standards to which the notched guide plate 6 is attached; one end of the wire terminating beyond the horizontal portion 5 in the open eye 7 above the twine holder 2, the

other end of the wire being bent forward horizontally to form a spring arm 8 with a guide loop 9 formed in this arm adjacent to the V-notch 10 in plate 6, and the outer end of the arm 8 terminating in an eye 11. 12 is a weight in the form of a cross-head slidable and guided between the vertical standards 4, the top of which weight, and centrally thereof, is connected to an eye-bolt 13 through which the. string is rove. The feet of the standards 4 where they join the base A are rigidly clamped together by the clampingplates 14 and clamp-screw 15.

The notched guide plate 6 is formed with double lateral channels which fit up against the under side of the two portions of the horizontal part 5, and a clamp-plate 16 fits over the top of these wires and is clamped to the plate 6 by suitable means, as the clamp-screw 17 The eyes 7-91l are all formed by coiling the wire, but leaving the coil partially open at one point to allow for the ready insertion of the twine sidewise into these eyes, without having laboriously to thread the twine through them, as would be the case if these eyes were closed.

The apex of the V-notch 10 in plate 6 and the guide loop or eye 9 are spaced at about equal distances on each side of the standards and in a plane about midway between the standards, so that the weight 12 is free to slide up and down on the standards, allowing the weight to be raised, so that the twine can, when being used, be drawn in a practically straight line from the eye 7 to the eye 11. The function of the V-notch 10 is to grip the string when the weight falls after the necessary amount of twine has been pulled out and broken off, to prevent more string than necessary being fed off the ball, at the same time allowing the weight to draw up toward eye 11 the free unused portion of the twine which hangs from the spring arm 8.

lVhen the device is in use, the string is pulled down to furnish a sufficient supply to tie up the package, and when thus pulled down it will raise the weight until the upper end of the weight is above the level of the notch 10. This notch will hold the string and prevent its pulling out from the source of supply until the weight has been raised above the notch, and this frees the string from the notch and allows it to be pulled through the eyes until as much as desired has been withdrawn; the end of the string being cut off as soon as it is released, the weight will drop and will pull up the surplus, the notch immediately binding that portion of the string which is behind the weight and preventing any more being pulled from the ball. 11 this manner the twine is readily accessible at all times, and after a package has been tied, and the string cut, the weight will draw up the slack of the twine and leave it in position for future so i use. A cushion 18 may be placed at the bottom of the guides 4, upon which the weight rests When at its lowest point.

By giving a double guide to the Weight, as here shown, and preventing it from swinging sidewise, the bight of the twine which passes through the eye 13 on the weight is prevented from turning and twisting and so fouling the twine that it cannot be pulled off the ball. By making the device of spring wire, as here shown, it can be made and sold at a very reasonable figure. The device can be supported in any suitable fashio-n, either on a counter or a stand, or suspended from overhead. In case of a sudden pull or jerk on the twine, the arm 8 yields sufiiciently so as to prevent the breaking of the twine.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent .is

1. A twine holder having in combination a base portion and two parallel vertical standards the upper ends of which have horizontal portions extending to one side of the standards, one of said horizontal portions being returned substantially upon itself and extended to the other side of the standard, a weighted cross-head slidable freely on said standards, and means at the top of the standards and on each side thereof for guiding the two sides of the bight of the twine drawn from the ball, said weight having an eye or guide through which the bight of the twine is passed.

2. A twine holder made from a single piece of wire, said wire bent to provide a base portion and the base portion upturned at one end to form a support for a ball of twine, and at the other end to provide two vertical standards, the top of said standards then bent into horizontal position, a notched guide gripping plate secured to said hori- Zontally bent portion, one of said horizontally bent portions extended and terminating in a guiding eye, the other end of said extension bent and extended to form a spring arm with twine-guiding means in its length, and a weight sliding on said vertical guides, with the bight of the twine slidably engaging with the weight.

8. A twine holder comprising a base with twine-supporting means and vertical standards, a cross-head weight sliding on said standards and prevented from turning thereby, twineguiding means adjacent to the top, of the standards and on eachside thereof and in a plane midway between the standards, said standards having their upper ends bent horizontally with the horizontal portions extending right and left of the vertical plane of the standards, a rearwardly extending eye at the top of the standards through which the twine is passed, means on the weight engaging the bight of the twine, and a spring arm extending in an opposite direction from said eye, and said arm having an open guiding eye through which the service end of the twine is drawn.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES V. MORRIS. lVit-nesses CHARLES EDELMAN, M. Coon. 

